Leading a business or an organization, no matter how big or small it is, can be a daunting task. Leadership carries with it a tremendous amount of responsibility that many would view as a burden.
But with the right attitude, your leadership doesn’t have to feel heavy or cumbersome. Instead, it can feel empowering and rewarding. So, what does it take to be a good leader? This blog highlights the personality traits and strengths of those in charge.
What Does it Take To Be a Good Leader? 10 Traits That Make All the Difference
Successful leaders transcend the title of ”boss”, ”CEO” or ”manager”. These are just titles after all. Good leadership lies in your actions, attitude, and self-assurance that you can be the best leader that your team needs.
Not everyone is born a natural William Wallace or Barack Obama. While some people carry the traits of a natural-born leader, others are able to mold themselves into the leaders they need to be. One of the biggest leadership challenges that most people face is self-belief. If you have the self-motivation and confidence to be a good leader, you’re already halfway there. Here are a few other important traits:
1. Having a Clear Vision and Mission
As the leader of an organization, you need to have a very clear picture of what you’re trying to achieve. If you don’t have an obvious set of goals to work towards, your leadership could come to a grinding halt.
In order to develop your vision as a leader, spend time honing in on what you want to achieve and the steps you need to take to get there. Set yourself achievable goals and always have something to work towards.
2. A Keen Sense of Optimism
Positive and energetic leaders have a way of inspiring those around them. As the saying goes, positivity is contagious. Good leaders are people with endless amounts of optimism, energy, and self-motivation. Not only does this make you easier to work with, but it creates a source of endless motivation for those around you.
Remaining 100% positive, day in and day out, is not always possible, nor realistic. But it’s important that you align yourself and your views on life with positive people and positive goals in order to be a better leader.
3. Emotional Maturity
Ever worked for a boss that flipped out at the slightest inconvenience? This is clear sign of being emotionally immature and even unstable. Ultimately, a good leader leads by example.
Leadership positions are highly-charged and stressful. A good leader is able to take control of their emotions and will avoid taking it out on their team. Frustration and disappointments will not derail their leadership. Instead, they are able to process these emotions with maturity and move forward with a resolution.
4. Self-Confidence
As mentioned, one of the cornerstones of leadership success is self-belief and self-confidence. If you don’t believe you can lead your team to success, then why should other people believe in you?
Whatever you lack in certain areas as a leader can often be supported by self-confidence. Having self-confidence is also contagious. It tends to rub off on those around you who will feel inspired and motivated by their own capabilities. It’s also a brilliant way to build respect.
5. Personal Integrity
Having a keen sense of integrity as a leader is paramount. Integrity is not only essential to the individual, but also the organization around them. Top-level executives and leaders tend to carry a lot of power. They make important decisions that could alter the course of many people’s lives. Without integrity, this could lead to power-hungry leadership and poor decision-making.
In today’s world, integrity should also be a deal-breaker when placing employees in powerful positions, too.
6. Delegation Skills
A major part of any leader’s job is to delegate tasks and responsibilities to the team that supports them. But task delegation can be sensitive. That’s why it’s so important for leaders to use their intuition and knowledge of who can get the job done to the best of their ability.
Delegation is not always about lightening your own load — it’s about better decision-making and building trust in your team. It also allows you the time and space to focus on your own goals as a leader.
7. Excellent Communication
Being an effective leader hinges on your communication skills. Without being able to clearly communicate your goals and intentions, your leadership could fall on deaf ears. Communication as a leader is never black and white, either.
You need to be able to effectively communicate at all levels of your organization. You should be able to speak to a range of people, across all social identities and different roles. It’s important to consistently remain aware of how you speak to your employees, as this ultimately reflects back on you and the type of leader you are.
8. Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is a fundamental, inwardly-focused skill that all good leaders possess. Basically, it refers to how well you know yourself as a person. The better you understand yourself, the more effectively you can lead your team. Good leaders are fully aware of how their team perceives them. They make a consistent effort to acknowledge their flaws and grow into a good leader.
9. An Attitude of Gratitude
Gratitude is a huge part of leading a team. It shows that you are humble — and this is a personality trait that helps to build respect among those around you. Living with gratitude also helps to boost your self-esteem, it reduces anxiety, depression, and can even promote better sleep.
A well-respected leader will always take the time to say thank-you, and show appreciation of their team. And who doesn’t want to work for an appreciative boss that actually dishes out recognition?
10. A Willingness to Learn
All good leaders know that knowledge is power and you can never know enough — no matter how old or experienced you are. In essence, leadership is built on growing yourself as an individual, along with your knowledge and skillset in order to do your job better.
Become a Better Business Leader With Us
If you’ve been wondering ”what does it take to be a good leader?”, then we hope this blog has offered a little insight on how to better your leadership skills.
If you’re looking for more on business news and advice, be sure to explore the rest of this site for more, and lead your organization to success. For local Arizona news, sport, and weather updates, we offer that too!
